The Griswold's HouseHow do you picture the perfect Christmas?
I loved this talk by Dieter F. Uchtdorf:
"Sometimes it seems that our efforts to have a perfect Christmas season are like a game of Jenga ... each of those little wooden blocks is a symbol of the perfect Christmas we so desperately want to have. We have in our minds a picture of how everything should be; the perfect tree, the perfect lights, the perfect gifts and the perfect family party. We might even want to re-create some magical moment we remember from Christmases past, and nothing short of perfection will do.
"Sooner or later, something unpleasant occurs; the wooden blocks tumble, the drapes catch fire, the turkey burns, the sweater is the wrong size, the toys are missing batteries, the children quarrel, the pressure rises; and the picture-perfect Christmas we had imagined, the magic we had intended to create, shatters around us. As a result, the Christmas season is often a time of stress, anxiety, frustration and perhaps even disappointment."
"When we set aside our expectations of perfection, we will see Christmas in details around us. It is usually something small; we read a verse of scripture, we hear a sacred carol and really listen, perhaps for the first time, to its words, or we witness a sincere expression of love. In one way or another, the Spirit touches our hearts, and we see that Christmas, in its essence, is much more sturdy and enduring than the many minor things we often use to adorn it."
"Sooner or later, something unpleasant occurs; the wooden blocks tumble, the drapes catch fire, the turkey burns, the sweater is the wrong size, the toys are missing batteries, the children quarrel, the pressure rises; and the picture-perfect Christmas we had imagined, the magic we had intended to create, shatters around us. As a result, the Christmas season is often a time of stress, anxiety, frustration and perhaps even disappointment."
"When we set aside our expectations of perfection, we will see Christmas in details around us. It is usually something small; we read a verse of scripture, we hear a sacred carol and really listen, perhaps for the first time, to its words, or we witness a sincere expression of love. In one way or another, the Spirit touches our hearts, and we see that Christmas, in its essence, is much more sturdy and enduring than the many minor things we often use to adorn it."
You must hear the rest of his talk!
To watch this Christmas devotional, click here.
Here are a few details from scenes that have lit up the Christmas season for me:
Long-lost cousins.
My own personal St. Lucia.
Displaying old decorations in a new place.
Elves.
Plays, recitals and Christmas concerts.
Meeting the stars after the show.
What are the Christmas scenes you'll remember from this year?
(Here's some ideas of where to look:)
- The dreaded family Christmas party will be better than you think.
- Drop in on a grade-school program and you'll leave jolly, I promise!
- Send a note to a friend from your past and remind him (and yourself) what was special about your friendship.
- Listen to some old Christmas CD's (Oakridge Boys, John Denver, Peter,Paul and Mary do it for me.)
- Bake that cake your mom used to make and tell your kids how you got your tongue caught in the beater.
- After you hear the whole Dieter F. Uchtdork talk, consider how you'd react with love if your darling four-year-old set your house on fire Christmas Eve.
- Look up Luke chapter 2 in the Holy Bible. Read it out loud to someone, or have them read it to you. Listen for the words, but notice the majesty of the language and feel the Holy Ghost testify that the story is true.
- Write a letter to a teacher/friend/frenemy? who you could thank for something.
Leave us an idea to make someone's Christmas' better
(which is guaranteed to make ours better.!)
(which is guaranteed to make ours better.!)
Once again, you've prompted a post on my blog about a recent Christmas scene at our house.
ReplyDeletei am usually not disappointed by Christmas. That is because I love getting together with loved ones, whoever happens by. Singing with my ward choir, always angels attend, seeing the little ones excited faces, even if they are tired and out of control- they are my grandchildren, not my children. Seeing the lights and the decorations, finding the perfect gift. it's all lovely
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